Writing Reports

Stat 365: Statistical Communication

Wednesday, May 10th

Today we will…

  • Report Structure and Audience
  • Special Formatting
  • Identify the Article Structure
  • Storyboard!

Report Structure

Consider your Audience

  • Consider the knowledge your audience has about the subject so you can tailor your terminology and balance background information and analysis.

  • Most readers first skim an article to orient themselves, decide whether or not to read the article, and select the sections of greatest interest (make the abstract, intro, conclusion, and figures tell the main points of the story).

  • Keep in mind your secondary audience – readers outside your field of work. This will help increase the accessibility of your work.

Mathematical Expressions

Follow standard grammatical rules for written English.

  • Read the mathematical terms as verbs and nouns.

“When \(x<0\), then \(f(x)\) is strictly increasing.”

“When \(x\) is less than 0, then \(f\) of \(x\) is strictly increasing.”

  • Use punctuation (.,;)

Suppose that three quantities \(x, y\), and \(z\) are related in the form:

\[f(x) + g(y) = h(z).\]

Here \(x\) and \(y\) could be the height and girth of the donkey, and \(z\) could be its weight. The functions \(f\), \(g\), and \(h\), are monotonic (i.e., always increasing or always decreasing).

Mathematical Expressions Guidelines

  • Don’t begin a sentence with a mathematical symbol.
  • Define a mathematical symbol (or at the same time as) using it in an expression.
  • Avoid using letters for symbols that can be confused with words (e.g., \(a\)).
  • Avoid using symbols in titles and headings.
  • Choose when and when not to use mathematical expressions.

Formatting Mathematics

  • Use some sort of math typeset (\(LaTeX\), insert equation in word, etc.).
    • Typically set apart from normal text with italics.
    • $ for inline math and $$ for a new line.
  • Should you display a mathematical expression on its own line? Consider importance, length, and height.

When a fraction is written in-line, we use \((x+y)/(y+z)\), and when displayed, we express it in its tall form as

\[\frac{x+y}{y+z}.\]

Formatting Mathematics

  • When multiple lines of mathematics are displayed, they should be aligned.

\[\begin{align*} x&=a+b+c\\ &<f \end{align*}\]

Formatting Mathematics

  • Define variables, and be consistent and aware of their shared knowledge of uses.
    • \(x,y,\) and \(z\) for variables;
    • \(f, g,\) and \(h\) for equations;
    • \(m\) and \(n\) for sample sizes;
    • \(i,j,\) and \(k\) for indices;
    • \(p\) and \(q\) for probabilities;
    • \(\mu\) for mean; \(\sigma\) for standard deviation, \(\alpha\) for significance level, etc.

Figures, Tables, and Captions

  • What figure(s) and table(s) encapsulate the main take-away?
  • All figures and tables should be labeled and given a caption. For example:
    • Figure 1: A few sentences to accompany the figure.
    • Table 1: A few sentences to accompany the table.
  • Should be “stand alone”.

Special Sections

References

Follow APA citation guidelines

  • Include a list of references at the end of the report on a separate page.
  • Use a hanging indent for each reference and list them in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
  • Include the author’s name, publication year, title of the work, and publication information such as the publisher and location.
  • In-text citations should include the author’s last name and the publication year (e.g., Smith, 2021).

Appendix

  • A separate section at the end of a document with supplementary information.
  • Provides additional but non-essential details too lengthy for the main text
  • Can include tables, charts, images, survey questions, essay examples, etc. to support the main text.
  • Content should be labeled, numbered, and referenced in the main text (e.g., Appendix A)

Recall the Kangaroo Drones article

Identify the structure and formatting in “Fright or Flight? Behavioural Responses of Kangaroos to Drone-Based Monitoring”

Storyboarding

Storyboarding1

Helps organize the structure and story.

  1. Collect tables and plots
  2. Group related findings
  3. Make an argument (find the story)
  4. Choose the tables and plots needed to tell your story
  5. Sequence the chosen tables and plots
  6. Add captions and transitions

Zines

Example Zine – Chapter 3 of my dissertation

Excalidraw

Trello

Current Research with Collaborator

Storyboard Time!

Select one of the tools discussed and begin storyboarding your final technical report.

To do

Copy the Masters: Pick your Graphic

  • due Thursday, 5/11 at 11:59pm
  • First Draft coming up, due 5/18 at 11:59pm

Draft: Results and Discussion

  • due Thursday, 5/18 at 11:59pm